1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to secure internet access for children based on prerequisite personal identification and authentication and, more particularly, to a system for biometric-secure internet access for children that is restricted by custom safe kid's site controls with live online traffic monitoring and parental controls that limit access as needed to protect children online and provide parents with peace of mind.
2. Description of the Background
Today children have a world of information at their fingertips. Through the Internet they can explore the ocean, learn of different cultures, and access media with a freedom unthinkable twenty years ago. Unfortunately, the internet is fraught with risk for children, including predatory emails, chat room solicitations and unsavory websites. Parents are becoming finely attuned to the risks involved and are clamoring for more parental controls to insure child Internet safety.
Unfortunately, the challenges of monitoring and controlling Internet access for children become more difficult each day because the solicitors and predators are getting smarter. Cyber laws and content filters have only limited effectiveness. Parents need more control and full time online monitoring to make sure their children are protected from harmful content and to avoid the sexual predators out in cyberspace.
Some of the major online providers are beginning to take the situation more seriously. For example, America Online™ distributes Internet Access Controls (IAC) 3.0, which provides the following features:
Screen Name List Management—Parents can manage a list of users that can access the Internet from a specific computer.
Content management: based on their assigned screen name children are granted limited age-appropriate online access.
Filters: any unauthorized programs that try to gain access to the computer are blocked.
The foregoing features give parents the flexibility to decide which types of Web sites are appropriate for their child's age and maturity. Unfortunately, various users have reported that it is possible to defeat AOL's Parental Controls either from the outside or by a child intent on free browsing. For example, AOL's Parental Controls permit a “Guest” logon so that visitors to a home can logon using their account privileges. Many instances have been reported of children getting their hands on guest or parent's screen names and passwords, which gives them the same access privileges. Screen name swapping is quite common and impossible for AOL to detect unless there are simultaneous logons with the same screen name.
It would be greatly advantageous to provide an online parental control system and full time online monitoring that is not screen name and password dependent, but instead relies on localized encrypted biometric authentication of a child's fingerprint data. This would eliminate hijacking of screen names and result in a most secure and safe network for children to use the internet.
Biometric authentication is gaining popularity as a security measure, and especially fingerprints. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,950,810 to Lapsley et al. (Indivos Corporation) issued Sep. 27, 2005 shows a tokenless biometric electronic financial transactions method for authorization of an electronic payment between a payor and a payee using a third party provider.
United States Patent Application 20040199469 by Barillova et al. published Oct. 7, 2004 shows a method and system for authentication of online commercial transactions between a customer and a merchant comprising the steps of registering a customer with a PIN and a biometric sample, and a customer financial account. A temporary transaction code is issued to each authenticated customer; and conducting a transaction with a merchant using said temporary transaction code.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,012 to Hoffman et al. (Smarttouch, LLC) issued Mar. 18, 1997, and related U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,348 to Pare, Jr. et al. (Veristar Corporation) issued Jul. 31, 2001 both show a tokenless identification system and method for authorization of transactions and transmissions. The system uses a comparison of a fingerprint gathered directly from an unknown user, with an authenticated biometrics sample of the same type obtained and stored previously.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,011 to Gottfried issued Aug. 7, 2001 shows a method for providing secure transactions with credit cards by adding a fingerprint scanner at the point-of-sale to obtain fingerprint data, so that a credit card company database can verify the fingerprint data against stored fingerprint information and verify the transaction accordingly. The method is integrated into the existing negotiation protocol between a point-of-sale system and a credit card company database, and uses a human fingerprint and a secure algorithm. The credit card company has the customer fingerprint for comparison on its existing database. In the case of an Internet purchase, an authorization adaptor is connected to the user PC, and once the user has made the purchase request, an encrypted communication is then commenced in which a token is sent by the credit card company to the user PC, requesting fingerprint data. The authorization adaptor provides the fingerprint scan, and sends the data to the user PC in encrypted form, for transfer to the credit card company by a secure communication, for authorization. The fingerprint scanner is based on use of a new sensor employing a technology that maps and matches fingerprints, using coincidence of the features (minutia) on as few as twelve similar points, to determine a match.
United States Patent Application 20050165700 by Karthik (Multimedia Glory) published Jul. 28, 2005 shows a security system for electronic commerce for verifying the authenticity of a user including: a server authentication program installed in a web-server at a website of a web-service provider; a client software component and fingerprint scanner installed at a workstation of the user. The scanner takes and converts a biometrics image into digital data, which is then compressed and encrypted, and transmitted to the web-server.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,773 to Abrahams issued Sep. 13, 2005 shows a method of on-line authentication in which a user presents one or more fingerprints for authentication during an on-line transaction, such as an Internet transaction. The host system indicates how many fingerprints will be requested for authentication, randomly selects which fingerprints will be requested, and sends a request for entry of the randomly selected fingerprints, and then compares the received fingerprint data to fingerprint data stored in a database.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,288 issued to Bergenek et al. in 2001 shows a fingerprint identification/verification algorithm that uses bitmaps of a stored fingerprint to correlate with a bit map of an input fingerprint, wherein an accurate reference point is located. This is followed by the selection of several two-dimensional areas in the vicinity of the reference point of the input image of the fingerprint. These areas are then correlated with stored fingerprint recognition information to determine if the input fingerprint image and the stored fingerprint recognition information are sufficiently similar to identify/verify the input fingerprint.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,023 to Luz issued Oct. 21, 1980 shows an identity check card with a fingerprint cut away in spots to provide alternate transparent zones and partial fingerprint zones. The placement of the card over a fresh fingerprint show immediately if the latter complements the former, thus permitting a quick and reliable check to be effected.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,822 to Meadows et al. issued Feb. 9, 1999 shows an automated fingerprint identification system. When a person applies for a credit card they must register a finger of their choice with the card issuance company. At the company, the finger is scanned and a composite number is produced that consists of several fingerprint-identifying parameters. The composite number is encoded onto the card and is stored in a card database. When a person wants to use the card, the card is inserted into a card reader and the person's finger is scanned by a fingerprint scanner, which produces a composite number. The immediate and stored composite numbers are compared and, when similar, use of the card is allowed.
United States Patent Application 20040044621 by Huang et al. (VISA) published Mar. 4, 2004 shows a payment system for facilitating a payment transaction between a payer and a payee using a separate payer access device, payee access device, and a services hub.
AuthenTec Inc. has announced the TruePrint™ fingerprint reader with incorporated Bluetooth transmitter. AuthenTec's press releases claim the company has 17 pending patents, but does not state the countries in which they are pending.
Internet Commerce Account Status Information (ICASI) sells a third party service that requires a biometric finger-scan to authorize use of a business bank account, credit card transaction, or online commerce. Once users have registered their fingerprints, they can conduct business with thousands of participating merchants.
The TouchPass log-on security solution by NEC Technologies, Inc. offers finger-imaging technology to authenticate an individual's identity.
DigitalPersona, Inc. provides a complete fingerprint security system for PCs using USB fingerprint sensors. The plug-and-play USB fingerprint sensor is self-calibrating, and features auto and optimal image capture, latent image removal, a challenge-response link, and encrypted transmission of biometric information.
While the foregoing references all teach improved security through fingerprint biometrics, none makes it user-friendly enough for use by children without exposing any authentication information of the child to possible hijack, nor do they integrate the biometrics with a robust parental control system.